Why do we dive?

[jeckyll]

serenity

n 1: a disposition free from stress or emotion [syn: repose, quiet, placidity, tranquillity, tranquility] 2: the absence of mental stress or anxiety [syn: peace, peacefulness, peace of mind, repose, heartsease, ataraxis]

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

Fun, exercise and dinner

 

[Guba]

Because I'm a perpetual learner.
Well, I'm a professional educator, and one of the messages I give my students over and over is that we are all "perpetual learners". Life is one non-stop exercise in learning new things. For some it's on a professional (career) basis, for some it's in their personal lives, but for me it's an endeavor in exploration. My life is about gathering data and then trying to make sense of it. Therefore, I'm an astronomer, a paleontologist, a meteorologist, a climatologist, a chemist, a physisist, and now an oceanographer and reef environmentalist. I spend my summers underwater as much as I can in order to learn as much about this wonderful, fascinating, exciting, refreshing, tranquil, awe-inspiring--and endangered--world as I possible can.
And then I try to bring some of that back to my classroom for my students.

(And then--hey, it's just plain fun! )

 

[sea nmf]

You can also do a search on this subject - it's been asked a number of times before.

 

[RonFrank]

Why do I dive?
When I dive, I feel like I have come home.

Well maybe you were a Common Snook in a previous life! :lol:

Why do I dive?

I've always loved the ocean and lakes, the critters in it, the critters around it. I grew up in the Pacific NW and love water.

However I think a bigger reason is that there are very few things I do where my mind is completely taken away to another place. That place is the UW world, and when I'm down there, even if in low vis, cold temps, and with little to see, I am NOT thinking about anything else. It's difficult for me to achieve such focus and clarity doing just about anything else. Sking is sometimes like that, but my mind wanders while sking.

So for me it's relaxing, enjoyable, and an otherworld experience, especially those high vis shallow reef dives so full of sealife! My only regret is that I did not start diving 20 years ago....

 

[mdb]

However I think a bigger reason is that there are very few things I do where my mind is completely taken away to another place. That place is the UW world, and when I'm down there, even if in low vis, cold temps, and with little to see, I am NOT thinking about anything else. It's difficult for me to achieve such focus and clarity doing just about anything else. Sking is sometimes like that, but my mind wanders while sking.

Ron: Great post. I feel the same way. It is hard to be thinking about your credit card bill, or the driver on their cell phone who cut you off in the parking lot, when you are U/W. I have always loved that about diving. I dive solo mostly and the peace and tranqulity is a great part of the experience. When diving with buddies/teams the shared experience is also great. There is nothing else like diving on our planet.

 

[Wildcard]

Becouse I look silly in a wet suit sitting on the couch..... I was a water baby, always been in, on or around the water. Mo betta to be under the water thou. Oh ya, and my back dosn't hurt when Im in the water.